Capture the Flag
by Stultus
Summary: A one-shot story of a capture the flag game. It takes place right after The Last Olympian, so there will be lots of spoilers. Mostly action, some slight romance. Rated K


**Ok, So this is my first fanfic. Please read and review. I not flames would be good, however criticism it highly valued. If it sucked, I want to know. If it was good, I want to know. If there were things that need improvement, I want to know. Enjoy.**

**Oh, and NO, I DO NOT own Percy Jackson.  
**

Invincibility is awesome.

Achilles told me it was a curse, but so far it seemed pretty sweet to me. Take capture the flag for instance. It was a couple weeks since I had just saved the world from the evil Titan Lord Of Time and his band of merry thugs, and things were beginning to get back to normal - or as normal as they can when you're a demigod. Anyway, I had been looking forward to this capture the flag game for a while. You should have seen the things the cabins were trying to do to get me on their team. However, as it turned out, Ares and Athena, and most of the other cabins allied themselves against me on the Red Team. This was because Clarrise and Annabeth were both dieing to beat me (since I basically won the game single handed the previous week), and they were able to convince many of the other cabins they would succeed. It also helped that everyone wanted to be on the team that slaughtered me. And unfortunately for me, Annabeth actually stood a chance since she new where my one weak spot was located. She wouldn't tell anyone else, but the Ares cabin were convinced they could beat me up pretty good anyway.

I was on the Blue Team, allied with Hermes, and Hades. Hermes was fairly big, so that was good, but the Hades cabin was just Nico. The rest of my team strapped on armor. I decided to forgo it however, except for my helmet which had the blue horse hair plume that identified me as a member of the Blue Team. The rest of the armor wouldn't help me and I could go faster without it. We decided that the entire Hermes cabin would stay on our side of the creek and defend the flag, while Nico went around to the left and I went right. Knowing Annabeth however, the other team would have something up their sleeve. Speaking of Annabeth, I saw her walking towards me. She looked even happier than that time she had been looking forward to beating me up right before the incident with the giant ants and the bronze dragon.

"You look happy" I noticed.

"Yeah," she said. "It's going to be fun getting to beat you up and not worrying about actually hurting you." She looked smug.

"But that's just it," I said, "I can't be hurt. What could you possibly do to stop me?"

She smiled wickedly. "You'll see."

Uh-oh, I thought. Annebeth, though I'd never give her the satisfaction of telling her, was probably the smartest hero in... well, ever. If there was a way to beat me, she'd find it. And, on top of all that, she knew that my week spot, my "Achilles heal", was located on the small of my back. Everywhere else, I was impossible to injure.

"Well, talk to you after you lose, Seaweed Brain." she said, and turned and walked to her team. Annbeth and I had started going out a couple weeks ago, but that hadn't stopped her from beating me up, or calling me names. In fact, she did that more. But it was fine by me. If she didn't do that, she wouldn't be Annabeth. And besides, I was lucky she liked me at all. She was way to good for me. I knew that. Nothing made me happier than the fact that she still liked me despite what an idiot I was sometimes. But right now I had other things to think about.

"Heroes!" Chiron yelled. "Usual rules. No intentional maiming or killing. The creek will be the boundary line, and the whole forest will be in-bounds. The flags must be clearly visible, and have no more than two guards. I will serve as the battle field medic and referee."

The game started, and Nico and I rushed across the creek at full speed, and then split of in our different directions. From out of nowhere, an arrow flew straight towards me. It caught me in the side of the head before I could react. But it just bounced off, and I made a point of laughing maniacally. (Did I mention I was invincible?)

Annother volley of five or six arrows flew towards me, I ducted one, caught another, and, uncapping Riptide, the deadliest ballpoint pen in the world, I slashed three more out of the air. As I ran forward, a Apollo camper came into view and fired another arrow at me. I moved my hand in front of it, and smiled as it shattered on contact with my skin. From behind the trees, the entire ares cabin surrounded me, and I realized the arrows had just been a diversion for this ambush. Not that it mattered. Clarrise came forward with a spear, its bronze tip glinting evilly in the sun. She lunged. I caught it by the tip and yanked it from her grasp. I then used the blunt end of the spear to smack her in the head, almost knocking off her helmet. She went all cross-eyed and fell backwards. Six more attacked me at the same time. I smacked one in the arm with the flat of my blade and then kicked him in the stomach. Another one raised a sword to strike, but I whacked him with the hilt of my sword before he got the chance. Four left. I disarmed one, and when another one came at me with a spear I snapped in like a twig. Two more. I swung at one and he blocked, but I just kicked his feet out from underneath him. Then I easily disarmed the last one. CLANG. something very hard hit my head. I turned around to see Clarrise. She had gotten up and was holding the remains of a bronze sword that I had knocked out of an Ares camper's hands. I say it was the remains of a sword because it had shattered when it hit my head, and now their were several broken pieces laying around me. I smiled and smacked Clarrise across the side of her head with the flat of my blade. She went down... again. I looked at the pile of disarmed and battered campers laying around me, all moaning, and some holding their heads, or other various places where they had new bruises.

Then I ran forward. I saw the flag ahead, on top of the pile of rocks we call Zeus's fist. The flag was gray with an owl on it; The symbol of Athena cabin. I heard sounds of battle off to my right. It sounded like Nico was getting some fighting in. The flag was completely unguarded. It seemed to good to be true... and of course it was. I ran towards the rocks, capping riptide and stuffing it in my pocked. Then I started climbing the rocks to get the flag. I was almost at the top when something pulled me back. I landed on my back on the ground. I started to get up, but an invisible force kicked me again, and I went down face first in the dirt. An invisible foot kicked me hard in the small of my back, my one weak stop. Annabeth. How had I not seen that coming? Of course she was guarding the flag with that invisibility hat of hers. I tried to get up again, but found that invisible hands were wrapping ropes around me. Within seconds I couldn't move at all. I was completely tied up. Annabeth took of her magic Yankees hat. "Well, I guess _invincibility_ is no match for _invisibility_, is it Seaweed Brain?" I struggled against the ropes, but it was no good. I couldn't reach my pocket. I was stuck. "Well, I'm off to win the game now... I wish you could come but you seem to be... er... tied up at the moment." And with that she put on her cap, turning invisible, and ran off towards the creek.

The entire Apollo cabin, who had been shooting at me earlier, came running out of the trees and surrounded me, bows drawn. I heard a few more yells from the left where Nico was, and then it was silent. A few of the Apollo campers took more rope and started wrapping me up with it. It was completely hopeless. There was no way I could escape this. Then I noticed some movement to my right, and saw Nico running towards us. The Apollo cabin saw him also, and they all aimed their bows at him. That's when I had an idea. I willed several hundred gallons of water from the creek to rise, and I slammed it into the Apollo campers. They were all knocked over, bows and arrows slipping from their grips. Nico ran up, and quickly took care of a couple who still had weapons. Then he ran to me and slashed the ropes. I got up quickly, and uncapped Riptide. I quickly climbed the rocks and retrieved the flag.

I jumped off, landing on an Apollo camper who had started to get up and knocking him flat again. I told Nico to stay there and keep an eye on the Apollo cabin, and anyone else who was still on this side, and I ran off towards the creek.

I was around a hundred feet from the water when I saw Annabeth running towards the creek with our flag. She was way closer to winning than I was. I ran as fast as I could, but it was hopeless. Annabeth would cross the creek before I got within 30 feet of it. Then I had another brilliant idea. A second before Annabeth reached the creek, I willed the water in front of here to rise up and become solid, creating a wall. She didn't have time to slow down and slammed into it full speed. "Aaagh!" She fell backwards, and lost her grip on the flag, which lay in the river. I let the wall of water go, and it crashed down on top of her. She was soaked. I wondered if she was still going to like me at all after this, or if I would have to turn down becoming a god or something for her again. I figured I'd probably have to find something _better_ than turning down becoming a god for her, but I didn't have time to think about it.

I ran towards the creek, where Annabeth was already on her feet again. She had picked up her sword, and she stepped in front of me as I was about to cross the creek. She hit my flag with the flat of her blade, knocking it out of my hand. I swung riptide at her, and she parried. She counter attacked, but I stepped our of the way and smacked her in the shoulder with the flat of my blade. Then as she turned to slash at me again, I caught her blade with my left hand and twisted it out of her grip. It never got old that I could do stuff like that without getting cut. I threw her sword as far away from us as I could and then advanced a step. She retreated. The Stoll bothers came stumbling out of the woods, cursing Annabeth in Ancient Greek. They looked pretty beat up. They saw our flag laying in the river, and the other one just past it, and both decided to try to go for the one in the river. So, of course, they tripped each other and both fell over. Annabeth dove for out flag, which was still in the river. I tackled her just before she could get it. Connor Stoll had gotten up, and grabbed our flag as I fought with Annabeth. She kicked me away. Then she took her Yankee's cap out of her pocket. I lunged, trying to get it away from her but it was to late.

Now, if you've never fought someone who was invisible, you have never been truly confused. I charged towards the Athena flag, but Annabeth tripped me and I fell over. I got up again, and grabbed the end of the flag pole, but Annabeth already had the other end. Connor Stoll was still running back to our base with our flag, and Travis came to help me. Together, we yanked the flag from Annabeth. I thought we had won, when the entire the entire Apollo cabin, Ares cabin, Athena cabin, and Hephaestus cabin came charging out of the woods. About ten arrows slammed into Travis Stoll, and he fell backwards. Several hit me, but it didn't matter. However, I was taken by surprise for a second, and Annabeth took back the flag.

As she started running towards Zeus's fist with it, her Yankee's cap came of and she was once again visible. On my side, several Hermes campers came limping out of the woods, ready to help. I ran after Annabeth as fast as I could. There was just the small problem that Ares cabin, Athena Cabin, and Hephaestus cabin had formed a phalanx which stood between me and Annabeth. I ran right towards them, as the Apollo campers continued the pelt me with arrows. I parried aside a few spears, and broke right threw their formation. They hardly slowed me down.

Annabeth was usually faster than me, but she was wearing armor, and I was not, so very soon I had almost caught up with her. I dove, and caught her foot, which tripped her, and she went down hard. She turned and kicked me in the face. I hoped my invulnerability extended to not having teeth knocked out. I still had all of mine, so apparently it did. I grabbed for the flag, but it was out of my reach. Annabeth kicked me in the face... again. I jumped to my feet, and grabbed the flag before Annabeth could stop me. She got to her feet. There was a battle going on by the creek; most of the Hermes cabin had arrived and were fighting the other team, and it wasn't going well. Half the Hermes cabin was already down. The rest wouldn't last another thirty seconds. Then I saw Connor Stoll running out of the woods to join the fight. He was almost to the creek.

"CONNOR!" I yelled.

He stopped and looked at me. "Yeah?" he yelled back.

Annabeth charged me. I turned towards Conner and threw the flag like a spear. All the campers stopped and watched as it sailed over their heads towards the creek. But I hadn't thrown it hard enough. I could tell it would land about eight feet short of the creek. Conner saw it, too, and he ran forward and snatched it out of the air. The other team charged him, but they were to late. Connor turned around and ran across the creek. The flag changed until it was the symbol of the Hermes cabin, silver with a caduceus. My team all cheered, however the other team wasn't so enthusiastic.

I looked at Annabeth. "Sorry about the wall of water." I said. She didn't look injured. I had only made the wall of water solid enough to stop her, not hard enough to break her nose or anything. She took off her helmet, and I did the same, noticing that there was a huge slice in it where Clarrise had hit me with the sword.

"Its fine," she said. "I wasn't hurt - just stunned and... wet. There was a slight wind blowing, and she shivered. I touched her shoulder, concentrating my thoughts. _Dry_, I thought hard. Instantly Annabeth was completely dry again. A small puddle of water was now on the ground around her feet. She stepped out of it.

"Thanks." she said.

"No problem." I said. We jogged over where all the other campers were. Chiron had taken Travis Stoll to the Big House because he needed to recover from his fifty or so new arrow wounds.

"Nice throw, Percy." said someone behind me. I turned around and saw that it was Connor Stoll.

"Thanks. Good catch."

He grinned. "What took you so long to get the flag anyway?"

"Annabeth and her darn Yankee's cap." I explained.

"Figures."

All the campers were starting to leave the creek, heading towards the cabins. That had been one of the toughest capture the flag games I'd ever played. Pretty much everyone was cut up, or scrapped, or bruised. I saw Clarrise stumble past me, looking dizzy. I tried not to laugh, remembering how she had gone cross-eyed and fallen over. I saw Annabeth talking to Connor Stoll. I wondered what that was about. Then she came over to me, smiling, and we walked towards the cabins.

"You kicked me in the face!" I accused. "Twice!"

She rolled her eyes. "Like it hurt you."

She did have a point. "And my back is still sore from when you kicked me."

"You know, for the greatest hero of all time, you sure are a wimp."

I stared at her. "Was that a complement or an insult?"

She shrugged. "Both, I guess."

I smiled. "Well, I will take it as a compliment, since I get so few. So, thanks."

She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

We were silent for a minute. Then I said "You know, that strategy with the ropes was pretty brilliant." I leaned in and kissed her briefly. She smiled at me wickedly, which I thought was pretty weird. Usually I got a sweet smile. Not this time.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, its just that earlier I was talking to Connor Stoll..."

Oh, no I thought. Nothing good ever comes of talking to Connor Stoll.

"And," She continued, "I got Hermes' Cabin's support for the next capture the flag game. Oh, and I got Nico, too."

I stomped the ground. "That is so not fair!"

She turned and walked toward her cabin. "You're going down, Seaweed Brain."

**Let me know what you think!**


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